L peters



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES KIESER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY W.IRONMONGER AND LOUIS O. GUDE, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,051, dated May 7,1889.

Application filed October 27, 1888. Serial No. 289,287. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES KIEsER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Draft-Equalizers and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates in general to that class of draft-equalizerswhich are designed to equalize the draft upon the two horses of a spanwhen either of the forward wheels of a wagon meets an obstruction, andit relates more particularly to my patent, No. 311,838,

on which this is an improvement.

The object of the invention is to provide an equalizer adapted to bereadily attached to any wagon, to provide means whereby the doubletreemay be located near to or far from the body of the wagon, and to providemeans for easing the strain upon both the team and the wagon when theteam starts suddenly and when a heavy load has to be started.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination ofparts forming a draft-equalizer, hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I isa drawing of a portion of a wagon, showing a draft-equalizer inlongitudinal vertical section according to my invention. Fig. II is anunder side view of the same. Fig. III is a rear end view of theequalizer. Fig. IV is an under side view showing the slide-bar reversed.

5 represents a wagon-pole attached in any usual manner to the hounds 6,and 7 shows the forward axle of the wagon, to which the tongue andhounds are attached by a pivot or king-bolt, 24.

8 represents the base-plate of my equalizer, adapted to be bolteddirectly to the under side of the hounds, and provided with twoprojecting ribs, 9, which slant inward, forming between them adovetailed slideway in the line of draft to receive the draw bar 10. Thedraw-bar is made hollow to receive a spring, 11, that rests its forwardend against a stud, 12, which projects within the draw= bar from thebase-plate 8, and the spring acts at its rear end by pushing against agate, 13, that is secured to the end of the draw-bar by means of a bolt,14. By loosening this bolt the gate 13 may be swung thereon to one sideto permit the draw-bar to pass over the stud 12 and afterward to admitthe spring 11, after which it may be swung to place behind the spring,and there be made fast by the bolt 14 to hold the spring to its work.

15 repnesents any common doubletree centrally pivoted to the draw-barupon a vertical bolt, 16. The lower end of this bolt is supported by alink, 17, which is hinged at one end between a pair of ears, 18, thatproject downward from the draw-bar. A nut, 19, on the bolt 16 holds upthe link and the doubletree. When the nut is removed, the forward end ofthe link 17 may be swung down off from the bolt, permitting thedoubletree to be removediwhile the link still remains attached by itshinge to the draw-bar.

19 is a yoke hung midway upon the bolt 16, and provided with eyes in itsends, whereby the brace-chains 20 may be attached at one end of each,the other end of each being attached to the forward axle, 7 near thewheels. The yoke 19 is free to swing a little on the bolt 16, to restmidway on shoulders 21 of the draw-bar, whereby the bolt 16 is relievedof part of any sudden strain coming through one of the chains. Now, ifeither wheel is suddenly stopped against an obstruction, that end of theaxle will draw backward and the chain on its side will draw the draw-barbackward; but the draw-bar, being fitted to slide in parallel ways,draws the doubletree by its center straight backward, thus strainingalike on both horses, and by the resistance of both horses the team-poleis prevented from lashing so far from side to side as it usually doeswhen not thus supported.

The spring offers a yielding medium between the team and the wagon,which is of great relief to the team in starting heavy loads, becausethe resistance is thus gradually overcome, and the spring also receivesthe first strain or shock when either wheel strikes an obstacle, thusagain relieving the team. The spring is of great service when usedwithout the chains.

\Vhen it is desired to work the team closer to the wagon, the draw-barmay be taken out of the slideway at the forward end and replaced theother end foremost in the rear end of the slideway, and do service, asshown in Fig. 1V Some of the advantages of this invention over my formerpatent hereinbefore referred to are: Its form is designed to be castinto shape of malleable iron or steel, it is more compact, and it ismore easily attached to all wagons, there being but one piece-thebase-plate 8which requires to be attached to the wagon, and the face ofthat is flat and plain and only about nine inches square, thus requiringonly a flat surface of similar extent on the hounds or the under side ofa broad team-pole for attachment.

22 represents a shoulder on the draw-bar adapted to abut against thebase-plate 8 when the spring has been compressed as far as it is safe.This is only serviceable in the reversed position of the draw-bar andwhen the chains are not in use, to prevent ovcrstraiuing the spring.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the base-plate 8, provided with the slanting ribs9, formingadovetailed slideway, and further provided with the stud 12,projecting within the said slideway, the draw-bar 10, fitted to slide inthe said way and made hollow and provided with a removable end or gate,13, and further provided with means for attaching a doubletree, and aspring, 11, adapted to fit between the said stud 12 and gate 13,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the draw-bar 10, providedwith the hinge-ears 18 atone end and a bolt-hole at the other end, and the link 17, hingedbetween the said ears and having a bolt-hole to register with the saidbolt-hole in the draw-bar, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the base-plate 8, pro vided with the slidewaydescribed, the drawbar 10, fitted to slidein the said way and having aremovable end or gate, 13, the bolt 16 in the draw-bar, the yoke 19,freely pivoted on the said bolt, shoulders 21 on the draw-bar, adaptedto engage each arm of the yoke, and chains 20, adapted to connect theends of the yoke with the wagon-axle 7 near the wheels, substantially asshown and described.

4. The combination of the base-plate 8, provided with the slidewaydescribed, and with the stud 12, projecting therein, the hollow draw-bar10, fitted to said slideway, and the gate 13, pivoted upon the end ofthe draw-bar to swing across the end of its hollow, substantially asshown and described, whereby a spring may be admitted and held withinthe draw-bar, as set forth.

5. The combination of the base-plate 8, provided with the slideway andthe stud 12, projecting therein, as described, and the drawbar 10,fitted to be reversed in the said slideway, substantially as shown anddescribed.

(5. The combination of the base-plate 8, provided with the slideway andthe stud 12, proj ecting therein, the draw-bar 10, reversibly fittedtothe slideway and provided with a shoulder, 22, adapted to engage thebase-plate, and a spring, 11, adapted to tit within the said draw-barand proportioned to be guarded by the said shoulder against beingoverstrained, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aitl'ix my signature in presence of: twowitnesses.

' CHARLES KIESER.

\Vitnesses HENRY W. IRONMONGER, JNo. T. MADnoX.

